For ten years, Gianni Infantino has run FIFA more or less unchallenged – cosying up to Putin, the Saudis, and above all Trump, and turning the World Cup into the most commercially aggressive tournament the sport has ever seen.
Then a few weeks ago, it emerged he’d been secretly negotiating to sell a fifth of FIFA’s business to outside investors for $20 billion. The plan collapsed within days, under a revolt from football associations around the world.
Oli Dugmore is joined by Zach Sweeny-Lynch, cohost of The Upshot.